Black Hawks Marduk 3028
by John-Hawk
Summary: The unit that will become the Black Hawks has its baptism of fire in the Jungles of Marduk during the 4th Succession War. Please let me know what you think!
1. Black Hawks Chapter 1

New Pontiac, Marduk  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
August 20, 3028  
  
John Hawk watched as the skimmers moved slowly down the street, the bright sunburst and sword symbol of House Davion displayed adjacent to the upraised gauntlet of House Steiner. Dignitaries from all across Marduk were in attendance, seated in the open backs of the skimmers, waving at the audience lining the avenue.  
  
Hundreds of light years away, on Terra itself, Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Federated Suns was marrying Melissa Steiner, Archon-Designate of the Lyran Commonwealth. Their union would be the physical culmination of the increasing ties between the two nations.  
  
John looked at the cheering throng surrounding him, and his smile broadened. The citizens of Marduk, and specifically New Pontiac itself, had ample reason to cheer the union. New Pontiac was home to Norse BattleMechworks, producers of the Griffin and Wolverine battlemechs. Norse had reached a sort of stagnation in the last century, producing the battlemechs in fairly constant numbers for the AFFS. With the full implementation of the treaty between the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth, however, Norse was looking forward into providing its 'mechs to a whole new market.  
  
The new jobs and opportunities that would bring to Marduk were not lost on the populace, whose standard of living was expected to make a dramatic increase during this "New Renaissance" as some were calling it.  
  
Norse has done an excellent job of supporting the union, John thought. For the past year, an ad war had been waged on Marduk, funded by Norse, extolling the virtues of the union with the Lyrans. Other worlds had not had quite the same reaction.  
  
All across the Federated Suns, and presumably the Lyran Commonwealth, there were strong feelings of dissent. The Succession Wars had gone on so long, and had been so violent at times that many people had trouble trusting persons from other Successor States. There was a small but vocal minority of the Federated Suns who were convinced that Hanse Davion had sold them out by forming his alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth's Archon, Katrina Steiner.  
  
Only time will tell, John thought. John wasn't sure if it was his training as a Mechwarrior that caused him to be suspicious, or if it was just part of his nature. At just 20 years of age, he was finishing his training with the Marduk Training Battalion. Such battalions were a relatively recent innovation within the Federated Suns designed to provide training to talented individuals whose families could not afford to send them to one of the martial academies scattered throughout the realm. Upon graduation, the cadets from these training battalions would receive postings to AFFS forces.  
  
As the last of the skimmers passed, John turned to his companions. Like him, they were all in the Training Battalion.  
  
"Seen enough yet?" John asked, raising his voice over the stomping of booted feet. On the avenue before the crowd, several platoons of infantry marched, weapons polished to a high sheen, the sunburst emblem clearly visible on the chest of their combat vests.  
  
Jackson Quinn nodded his head and turned to leave, quiet as ever. Jackson was tall, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Born on Robinson to a family of farmers, Quinn had nearly been refused entry into the Marduk Training Battalion because he was so quiet. In fact, the AFFS recruiting officer had been concerned that he couldn't speak. As that officer later found out, Quinn was actually highly intelligent and exceedingly well educated. He had, however, led a very sheltered life on the family farm. Jackson's skills had been sufficient to lead to his selection for the training battalion, and he continued to meet the challenges his training officers placed before him.  
  
Beside Jackson, Kathy DeCour seemed to be a supernova of energy. Kathy's small, compact frame barely rose to Jackson's chest, but few people noticed. Kathy lived her life very much in the moment, trying to glean every shred of whatever life threw at her. Kathy was pretty enough, John supposed, but it was usually her energy that caused her to be the center of attention.  
  
"What's the hurry, Johnny?" she asked, the slight accent of her words hinting at her French heritage. "Our leave isn't up until sunset."  
  
"I know. I thought maybe we'd snag some dinner before we headed back to the base."  
  
At the mention of food, Jackson's head snapped around, and a grin spread across his broad face. "Now you're talking," the large Mechwarrior said. * * *  
  
The trio made their way across the city, heading as far from Babylon Base as they could get. On the outside, the restaurant appeared to be a dilapidated warehouse from a bygone era. The exterior was covered with wood that had been stained a deep brown, and the windows appeared to be covered in a layer of grime. A more careful observation revealed the straight lines of the peaked roof and the bright light glittering from within.  
  
The Tower of Babel, as it was called, was one of the "open secrets" of the city. Renowned for cuisine from all across the Successor States, the Tower was a place where the elite of Marduk's capital could go to unwind. Of course, the restaurant had a special VIP area for just such people, but they could at least get the sense that they were mingling with the average man and woman.  
  
The food was superb, and the drinks weren't watered down. Most of the soldiers back at the base turned their nose up at the mention of the place, saying that it was for the snobs and indigs, but Kathy had dragged her lancemates there time and again, until it became their regular hangout away from base.  
  
At their table far in the back of the first floor, the trio pushed their plates aside.  
  
"So what's for dessert?" Jackson asked, brushing his mouth with a napkin. John laughed as Kathy rolled her eyes. Jackson never seemed to get his fill of food, but Kathy and John couldn't eat another bite.  
  
"You can't afford dessert," Kathy retorted, looking at the four plates spread before Jackson alone. "Not on your salary."  
  
"Ah, but our salaries should get a good shot in the arm, soon," John said, picking up his mug and taking a sip of his beer. "Training will finish up in a week, and our orders should be in any day now."  
  
"Talk about bad timing," Kathy said, staring at her own empty glass.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, the Light Guards must already be in transit for Operation Galahad '28," Kathy said, smiling. "But someone forgot to tell them their hottest new Mech Jock was still here on Marduk."  
  
They all laughed at that. Since her arrival on Marduk, Kathy had frequently voiced her desire to join the elite Davion Light Guards RCT. They all knew it was a long shot -- those slots usually went to graduates of the many military academies across the Federated Suns. The chances of a Mechwarrior from one of the new Training Battalions getting accepted directly into a Guards unit were very, very slim.  
  
Still, Kathy had worked as hard as she could, and she was ranked number two in the Battalion, just behind Leftenant Rand Taylor, their lance commander. In fact, their lance was rated number one out of all the training battalion units, a fact of which they were justifiably proud.  
  
"I know what you mean. Frankly, I'm surprised Morgan Hasek-Davion hasn't shown up yet to personally invite me onto his command staff. He MUST have gotten my holodisks," John joked.  
  
"One thing's for sure, guys. Wherever we end up, it's going to be a good unit," Jackson said, stretching his arms across the back of the seat.  
  
"You still think they're going to keep the training battalion together, Quinn?" Kathy said, moving closer to him. Jackson and Kathy's relationship wasn't any more of a secret then the location of the Tower of Babel, but as long as it didn't interfere with their performance as Mechwarriors, nobody seemed overly concerned.  
  
"Why else would we train the way we do? They're emphasizing that we learn how to rely on the guy next to us while we're out there. They're making me learn to expect your little quirks." Jackson ran his fingers through Kathy's short brown hair, then jerked his thumb toward John. "His too. How many times have we heard the Major say, 'You need to know what your lancemates are going to do before they do it, and they need to know what you're going to do.'"  
  
"Jack, that's just good sense. No matter what unit we end up with, we'll have to relearn those things. It doesn't mean we're going to be together after graduation."  
  
Kathy looked at the two of them. "But if that were the case, Johnny, we'd have graduated a month ago. The training over the last few weeks has been focused on learning to coordinate our efforts and play to our individual strengths. At least, that's what Rand has been telling us. I think Jackson's probably right."  
  
"I hope so," John said, looking at the two of them. "I don't want to break up the band just yet."  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Quinn piloted the skimmer to the main gate of the base, and rolled down the window as the duty officer verified their ID's.  
  
"Sirs," the corporal said looking up from his vis screen, "I'm to direct you to report to Leftenant Taylor's office as soon as you've returned to base."  
  
"Thanks, Corporal," Quinn said. He gunned the skimmer as the gate opened, and slid swiftly onto the base.  
  
"I wonder what the Leftenant wants," Kathy mused, her hand running nervously through her close cropped hair.  
  
John looked over at her with an eager smile. "Maybe our assignments have finally come in."  
  
"Light Guards, here I come!" Kathy replied, twisting around in her seat to face John. "Or maybe they'll assign me to the Heavy Guards, and I'll find out Morgan Hasek-Davion is still single."  
  
Quinn shot her a dark look, and she reached up to touch his cheek as she smiled at him. "I'm only kidding, Jackson," she said.  
  
John had learned long ago to leave Kathy and Jackson's relationship alone. Jack must really love her, John told himself. He puts up with so much teasing from her, sometimes I don't know how he deals with it.  
  
Kathy started to say more, then nearly fell onto the front console as Jackson brought the skimmer to a shuddering halt before the HQ building.  
  
"Oops," he said with a deadpan expression, as Kathy punched his arm. The trio exited the skimmer and made their way through the headquarters, until they arrived at Leftenant Taylor's quarters in the back corner of the third floor.  
  
Kathy knocked at the door, and from within the Leftanant's voice commanded them to enter.  
  
Leftenant Rand Taylor was seated behind his desk, the narrow window behind him casting him in shadow. Quinn, Kathy and John stepped forward and came to attention before the cluttered desk.  
  
"At ease," Taylor said, rising from his desk. He was shorter than the other Mechwarriors, but his skills had elevated him to command of their lance in the training battalion. At his command, the three sergeants flopped into chairs around the office.  
  
"That's not exactly what I meant, guys," Randall Taylor said, leaning back on the edge of his desk and crossing his arms.  
  
"Aw, come on, Rand," Kathy piped in, "you stayed here during the festivities to get some paperwork done, and now you're gonna get all stuffed shirt on us?"  
  
Taylor just shook his head. "It's good that I did stay here. That way I got to hear the scuttlebutt before you three could blow it all out of proportion."  
  
"Ooh, scuttlebutt," John said, turning wide eyed to face Kathy and Jackson. As one the trio shouted, "We LOVE scuttlebutt!"  
  
Taylor waved his hands frantically, motioning them to keep it down. "The rumor mill says our orders arrived today, so the Major should be handing out our assignments soon."  
  
Grins broke out around the room as visions of the future danced through the minds of the Mechwarriors. Their reverie was swiftly broken by a loud knocking at the door. Without waiting for a response, the door was tugged open and Captain Delacruz stepped into the room, a small package tucked under his arm. All four Mechwarriors nearly hit the ceiling as they came to attention.  
  
"As you were," the Captain said, seemingly oblivious to their discomfort.  
  
All four trainees relaxed visibly, though none dared resume their seats.  
  
"I take it from the shouting you've already heard that your orders have arrived," the Captain said, looking around at the trainees.  
  
Captain Delacruz crossed to the room and handed the package to Leftenant Taylor. "I'll just congratulate you now, Leftenant Taylor. Your promotion to Leftenant has been confirmed."  
  
Up until now, Taylor had been breveted to Leftenant to supervise his lance. That the High Command had confirmed him for the rank meant that he would be leading a lance once he joined his regiment. Hawk, Quinn and Decour, having likewise served their time as privates and then corporals, would enter the AFFS at the rank of sergeant.  
  
"Thank you, sir," Taylor said, accepting the Captain's proffered hand. Captain Delacruz turned to the other three.  
  
"Congratulations to all of you," he said, taking each of their hands individually.  
  
As the Captain left, Taylor faced them all with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Mechwarriors, dissmiss'd!" he shouted in his best parade ground voice. On cue, all three turned and started for the door, before their minds caught up with their reactions. Behind them they heard Taylor open the package, and all three stopped in their tracks.  
  
When they turned back around, Taylor handed them each a flimsy sheet with their name on it.  
  
They each read their sheet in silence, huddled close together. As usual, Kathy Decour was the first to speak.  
  
"The Cheetahs?" she asked, raising her head to look at the others.  
  
"Me too," John answered, gazing in wonder at the paper.  
  
"Ditto," Jackson replied.  
  
"Looks like it's unanimous, then," Rand replied. "We're all being assigned to the Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry." 


	2. Black Hawks Chapter 2

Babylon Base, Marduk  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
September 12, 3028  
  
Bablyon Base was a hive of activity as preparations were made for the new arrivals. Two days ago identification codes had been received for a contingent of dropships burning toward the planet, and the base personnel were in a rush to see that everything was ready for inspection.  
  
The incoming dropships were broadcasting Davion military ID codes that indicated a trio of Union-class dropships. The flight profiles analyzing the inbound ships confirmed the transponders, but there still had been no audio communications with the ships. Marduk's star had recently been through a period of increased activity and the flares and radiation emitted had been playing havoc with intrasystem communications for more than a week.  
  
At the back of the busy aerospace command facility, Major Jericho Chiraq stood against the wall, trying to stay clear of the bustling workers. As a precaution, all outgoing flights were being re-routed well clear of the dropships' flight path, just in case they weren't Davion ships.  
  
Less than a week ago, word had come through via Comstar. The Federated Suns had declared open war on the Capellan Confederation. At hid wedding reception on Terra, Prince Hanse had granted House Liao's holdings to his wife as a wedding gift. It was expected that House Liao's allies under the Treaty of Kapetyn, House Marik and House Kurita, would launch their own offensives into Davion and Steiner space to draw forces away from the Davion offensive.  
  
With the war less than a month old, Chiraq considered it unlikely that the Draconis Combine would have been able to prepare and launch a force into Davion space so quickly.  
  
~Still, If they have come in force, we've a quite serious problem on our hands.~ Chiraq told himself. He stepped passed a CommTech and looked at the large plot display of the space surrounding Marduk. The three dropships were highlighted in gold, but there was an area behind them that indicated the sensor shadow the dropships created.  
  
~Anything could be hiding there.~ Chiraq looked at a smaller golden blip streaking toward the incoming ships. The designator attached to the symbol marked it as Alpha Flight, a quartet of Corsair aerospace fighters dispatched to get a visual lock on the dropships.  
  
A door to the control room banged open as a Leftenant came running in, chest heaving from exertion. The man nearly knocked over a pair of Techs standing by a desk as he made his way to the Major.  
  
"Sir," he began, but was cut off by one of the CommTechs.  
  
"Major, Alpha flight is reporting in."  
  
The Major nodded. "Put it on the speakers, Sergeant," he said. The tech switched over the speakers, and Alpha One's voice came over the radio.  
  
"Sir," the Leftenant gasped again, but Major Chiraq held up his hand for silence. The transmission from Alpha Flight was garbled by the distance the recent solar activity, and it was hard to make out what the wingleader was saying.  
  
"Babylon Base, this is Alpha One. We have the dropships in sight. We're commencing our flyby." The transmission was garbled, but intelligible enough to make out the basic message.  
  
"Copy, Alpha flight. Have you had any contact with the dropships?" the CommTech asked.  
  
"Negative, Babylon Base. They're not responding to hails. It's possible that their comms were knocked out by the recent solar activity. We're not even getting any responses to laser communications."  
  
Major Chiraq felt a chill go down his spine at the thought. The wing leader was right; it might be possible that the dropships' comms had been damaged by the recent activity. Or there could be a more sinister purpose.  
  
"Sir," the Leftenant tried again, having finally regained his breath and his composure.  
  
The Major turned toward the Leftenant, allowing his flash of annoyance to pass. The Leftenant snapped a crisp salute and handed over a piece of flimsy. The Major took it and casually returned the salute. As he opened the flimsy, he saw that it bore the Davion crest at the top, followed closely by the Sandoval crest.  
  
Chiraq's blood went cold as he read the communiqué. He was no longer aware of the reports flowing in from Alpha flight.  
  
"Alpha one to Alpha three. You and Tyson bracket the lead ship left, Horn and I will take the right. Let's see who we're dealing with."  
  
"Copy, Alpha one," came the response.  
  
A moment later, the comm channel was flooded with an overflow of static that was nearly deafening.  
  
"Alpha three to Alpha lead! Do you copy?"  
  
The Comm Tech broke into the line again, his voice restrained and calm, but the anxiety on his face clearly visible. "Alpha three, report."  
  
The call went unheeded when, a moment later, another wash of static filled the room. When the burst was gone, the Sergeant looked over his shoulder at Major Chiraq.  
  
Chiraq crumpled the paper as he listened to the now empty comm channel. "Sergeant, keep trying to raise them," he said. "Captain," Chiraq directed at the duty commander, "Sound red alert. Scramble our aerospace assets and prepare for an attack run on the dropships."  
  
The Captain nodded her compliance, then began issuing orders to the rest of her staff. Outside the room, the sirens of the base's address system began to whine, calling the Davion forces to their duty.  
  
The message from Robinson had been quite clear. The Tenth Deneb had been delayed by equipment problems. Their dropships would not be leaving for several days yet, and wouldn't arrive at Marduk for some time to come. The destruction of Alpha flight only confirmed that the incoming dropships were hostile. Somehow, the Dragon had managed to get its forces prepared for an offensive in record time. Three dropships were visible on the sensors now, but there would be more. Those three were Union-class, and couldn't carry an entire regiment of battlemechs. The Combine couldn't hope to take Marduk with anything less.  
  
~If we were at full strength, Chiraq told himself. As it is, we've got a training battalion and the planetary militia. With the rest of our forces and all of our dropships redeployed in support of the offensives into the Capellan Confederation, we're sitting ducks.~  
  
As these thoughts raced through the Major's mind, a smile began to spread across his face.  
  
"Leftenant, you're with me," Chiraq said, heading for the door. The Leftenant, still puzzled, followed in his wake. 


	3. Black Hawks Chapter 3

Benet III  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
September 15, 3028  
  
Marshal Carl Sanders stood from behind his desk as the door chime sounded. He tugged at the waist of his jump suit, adjusting the fit as he crossed the room.  
  
"Enter," the Marshal said, standing before the makeshift desk behind him. Sanders' unit, the Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry had commandeered the spaceport facilities on Benet III to serve as their command post, and Sanders' office had once been the port commander's.  
  
The door opened, and a small man dressed in a black uniform with crimson trim stepped forward. At the man's collar were pins designating him a Colonel. Sanders smiled at the understated rank. ~Commander of five regiments of battlemechs, and he still keeps the rank of Colonel,~ Sanders marveled.  
  
"Marshal Sanders, thank you for seeing me," the Colonel said, stepping forward and extending his hand. His voice was firm, commanding, yet not completely distanced. Sanders sensed a gulf distancing them, as if the Colonel was present, but his mind was a thousand light-years away.  
  
~As well it might be,~ Sanders chided himself.  
  
"Colonel Wolf, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Sanders said, shaking the man's hand. Wolf's hair and beard were dark black, but streaks of grey were starting to appear, hinting that even the Colonel aged. Yet as Sanders held Wolf's gaze, he was pleased to see the grey eyes were still as hard as titanium.  
  
Sanders motioned wolf to a sitting area in the corner of the room, and the two men found seats. Sanders laced his fingers as he leaned forward to speak.  
  
"Colonel, I'm glad you had time to come down to the planet while your jumpship is recharging. I trust your trip back from Terra has been swift?"  
  
Wolf nodded. "Yes, Marshal, it has been swift. We're in quite a rush to return to Glenmora. We have some unfinished business there."  
  
"I understand, Colonel," Sanders said. "Please, call me Carl." Wolf nodded at this, but said nothing. After a somewhat awkward pause, Sanders continued. "Colonel Wolf, first let me express my sorrow at hearing of the losses suffered by your unit in your escape from the Combine. I was especially sorry to hear of the loss of the Hephaestus station."  
  
"Thank you, Marshal. The Dragon has much to answer for," Wolf said, his jaw tightening beneath his beard.  
  
"Yes, Colonel. Which is why I asked you to come here. As you know, Leftenant General Sortek has assigned the Tenth Deneb as support for the Dragoon forces. I'm prepared to deploy my entire RCT at your command, sir. Our 'mechs are already loaded and our dropships are fueled. Just say the word, and we'll boost within the hour."  
  
Sanders voice was steady, but his heart was racing. Sanders had no love of combat, but he did seek to prove to himself and to the men and women under his command what the Tenth Deneb was made of. As one of the newer units in the Deneb Light Cavalry, the Tenth was largely untested. Most of the troops had run through ample simulations -- some would say too many -- but they all lacked seasoning. Sanders knew that the time had come.  
  
Wolf, it seemed, had other ideas.  
  
"Marshal, thank you for your offer of assistance. As I told General Sortek, however, the Dragoons will stand on their own. The Dragon has permitted atrocities against our unit and our families, and my warriors will settle it with him."  
  
Sanders opened his mouth to protest, but Wolf raised a hand. "Carl," Wolf began, his voice soft, yet his words hard, "I know General Sortek also told you that per the contract between House Davion and the Dragoons, I was given command authority to determine if and when the Tenth Deneb would be ordered to support the Dragoons."  
  
Sanders' anger flared for a moment, but then subsided. Had any other mercenary commander dared speak to him that way, he would have had the man thrown in jail and brought before Comstar on charges of breach of contract. But Jaime Wolf was no ordinary mercenary. And the truth was, the contract did specify that provision. In fact, from what Ardan Sortek had told Carl, it had been a sticking point in the negotiations.  
  
Resignedly, Sanders nodded. "Very well, Colonel," he said, his face grim. "There is a development which you should be aware of."  
  
Sanders stood and motioned Wolf toward a starmap displayed on a monitor mounted into the west wall of the room. At the touch of a button, the screen displayed a representation of the border area between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns. Glenmora, Wapakoneta and Harrow's Sun -- the worlds the Dragoons were garrisoning -- were marked in brilliant gold. A fourth world glowed red on the other side of the border, and lines radiated from it to each of the worlds highlighted on the Davion side of the border.  
  
"MIIO indicates that the 16th Galedon Regulars have passed through the Misery system, en route to the Federated Suns. Our analysts suggest that they are coming for the Dragoons.  
  
"The problem, Colonel, is that we don't know which world they're coming to. It could be any of them."  
  
Wolf closed his eyes. "They'll come to Glenmora."  
  
Sanders looked at the older man and nodded. "Yes sir, that's our best guess. They'll be coming for you, sir."  
  
Wolf nodded. "The answer is still no, Marshal."  
  
Sanders ground his teeth in frustration. "Colonel," he began.  
  
Wolf's head whipped around to look at Sanders, and his eyes flared as he spoke. His voice was hard. "No, Marshal. You are to keep the Tenth Deneb here. When the Dragon arrives, he will spare no effort. I will not have his wrath falling upon the Tenth Deneb."  
  
For a moment, Sanders considered pressing the issue further, but decided against it. ~Now is not the time~.  
  
"Very well, Colonel. There is one other thing."  
  
Colonel Wolf regained his control, and Sanders was sure he caught a glimpse of exhaustion in Wolf's eyes. Sanders reached into the breast pocket of his jumpsuit and pulled out a datadisk. Turning it over in his hand, Sanders looked at it.  
  
"If you won't accept the help of the Regiment, perhaps you'll accept this. Contained on this disk are the coordinates of a Pirate Point in the Glenmora system. The timing should just about work out. If our intel is correct, you should arrive at Glenmora just ahead of the 16th Galedon."  
  
Some of the tension seemed to ease from Wolf's shoulders as he took the datadisk. "Thank you, Marshal. For your assistance, and for your understanding." 


	4. Black Hawks Chapter 4

Pegasus Base, Tillerbee Jungle  
  
Marduk  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
September 15, 3028  
  
John rolled over underneath the light blanket, trying to avoid the light streaming in through the translucent sides of his tent. Even as he came awake, he realized how tired he still was. Three days of forced movements through the jungle, avoiding the Combine forces, was exacting a heavy price on the soldiers and equipment of the training battalion.  
  
When the dropships had come burning through the atmosphere, Major Chiraq had mobilized his entire command. Computer estimates were predicting at least a regiment of 'mechs coming down onto the planet, with supporting armor, infantry and aerospace assets. More than enough to take the Federated Suns forces garrisoned at Babylon Base.  
  
As the first Combine dropship burst through the hastily thrown together fighter screen, the Marduk Training Battalion had fled Babylon base, taking every shred of equipment they could load onto their transports. Techs and astechs were reported to Norse BattleMech Works, commandeering every Griffin and Wolverine chassis that was even close to finished. Those that were immobile were swiftly stripped by Norse's own techs, and the spare parts were turned over to the training battalion to bolster their reserves.  
  
Infantry reported to the armories, emptying them as swiftly as they could. While the Kuritan 'mechs were grounding well north of the city, the training battalion was beginning to funnel south, deeper into the Tillerbee Jungle.  
  
Scuttling charges were set, and as the last hovercraft raced through the streets of New Pontiac, explosions ripped through the remaining weapons storehouses. The Combine soldiers were lucky to find an unbent dinner knife in the wreckage.  
  
Word slowly filtered outward from New Pontiac to the Davion forces. The Combine troops were identified as the 2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group. The unit was not dissimilar to the Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry - comprised mostly of light and medium battlemechs, the unit seemed to favor quick strike raids that attempted to concentrate damage on one or two targets in the hope taking them out.  
  
As John shrugged out from beneath the blanket, he stretched slowly. His hand settled on the ballistic cloth of the cooling vest lying nearby. The mesh inside of it was still wet from yesterdays run. In fact, everything in the tent was a little damp.  
  
~Such are the pleasures of living in the jungle,~ John told himself, grabbing the vest as he stumbled forth from the tent. He shrugged the vest on over the cooling undershirt he wore, and moved slowly toward the group of people gathered around the fire pit in the center of the camp.  
  
The sounds and smells of the jungle were damped by those of a military camp in the 31st century. The scent of damp earth was replaced by that of diesel fuel and lubricant, along with the pungent tang of coolant. The sizzle of arc welders and the sounds of heavy machinery filled the air.  
  
The feeling around the fire, however, was gravely subdued. John look, and found Jackson and Kathy seated around the circle, talking quietly with several of the people from Bravo Company.  
  
"Morning, guys," John said, sitting crosslegged on the ground next to them.  
  
"Morning, John" Kathy said, picking up the coffee urn near the fire and pouring him a cup. John took it gratefully, not for the warmth, but for the jolt of caffeine it sent through his system.  
  
"Where's the Leftenant?"  
  
"Rand went out on dawn patrol this morning," Kathy answered, leaning back against a log. She looked more tired than the rest of them. John knew she was probably half asleep, but that was normal for her. During their training, when they had down time, Kathy was one of the rare few who developed the ability to almost completely shut herself down to rest. Given the high energy state she normally possessed, John had always figured that it was the way her life was balanced. If they had to get into action, she'd be more alert than the rest of them, and that had been a life saver more than once in training.  
  
"Doesn't he ever sleep?" John asked, sipping from his mug. Rand had been up late with John last night, trying to work out a kink in Rand's Enforcer. The left foot actuator as sticking a bit, and there just weren't enough Techs to work on all the Battalion's 'mechs at once.  
  
"He said he wanted to make sure the repairs complete," Quin said. The big man reached over and tugged Kathy close. She rested her head on his shoulder, eyelids drooping as she dozed. Quinn's hand stroked her arm soothingly.  
  
John glanced around the camp, looking at the 'mechs standing guard, and those farther toward the center of camp. His Valkyrie was among this second group. Waves of heat washed over the machine, bleeding slowly from the heat sinks within the 'mech. Though the Valk's controls were locked, the fusion reactor was still online, drastically lowering the startup time if the 'mech should be needed quickly.  
  
The crunch of booted feet running through the undergrowth caught John's attention. Looking up, he saw a young woman approaching, her uniform hanging loosely on her shoulders.  
  
"Sir," she said, saluting John. John stood and returned the salute, all feelings of tiredness draining from his body as he rose. Beside him, Kathy stirred as Jackson gently shook her.  
  
"Go ahead, Corporal," Hawk said, tossing the remnants of his coffee aside. He didn't think he'd be needing any more of it today.  
  
"Sir, Leftenant Taylor has just reported a lance of Combine 'mechs working their way toward our position. Major Chiraq has ordered your lance to go back him up and take them out."  
  
John grinned. Apparently, Chiraq had decided to start hitting back. ~About time~, John told himself. Two days was two days too long.  
  
Glancing at Jackson and Kathy, John waved them forward.  
  
"You heard the lady. Let's go hunt some snakes!"  
  
The Corporal smiled as the three Mechwarriors bounded for their 'mechs. She couldn't help thinking that the Combine was about to get a bloody nose. 


	5. Black Hawks Chapter 5

John and his lancemates met up with Leftenant Taylor at the rim of a deep valley in the midst of the Tillerbee, barely 30 minutes from Pegasus Base. Using laser communications, Taylor communicated the situation to his comrades.  
  
"I picked up a 'mech lance coming down from New Pontiac. A Stinger, two Panthers, and a Griffin. I couldn't make out unit insignia, but the Dragon was plain enough. They're taking their time, but they're disciplined. These guys are no amateurs."  
  
John forced himself to loosen the deathgrip he had on the Valkyrie's controls. He tried to slow his breathing, but he could do nothing to control the rapid beating of his heart. He'd tell his friends that it was simply the thrill of the oncoming action. They'd all agree, and acknowledge that they'd felt the same thing. And they'd all know that it was as much fear as it was excitement.  
  
"Copy, Leftenant," John said, his eyes glancing down over his controls. Green lights stared back at him - the Valkyrie was ready for its first real fight.  
  
"If they hold their current course, they'll be coming through this valley. We'll set up our ambush from that ridge." Rand said, motioning with his Enforcer's autocannon at a low hill to the east. The massive trees would provide cover from the Combine 'mechs scanners, at least for a little while.  
  
As they moved into position, John watched the others' machines. He was still disconcerted by the paint scheme. The unit's Techs, having heard that the Battalion was going to be incorporated into the Tenth Deneb, had decided to paint the machines in the khaki coloring favored by the Light Cavalry. They had even added the unit insignia, a white horse head superimposed over a black rectangle, with a gold box just beneath the horse head. Inside the box was the Roman numeral 'X'.  
  
Given the verdant green of the surrounding jungle, John was concerned that the 'mechs would make excellent targets. He found himself wishing for the camouflage paint job that had been the norm during his training days.  
  
~Nothing we can do about that now,~ he told himself as they moved positioned their 'mechs along the ridgeline. The Leftenant's Enforcer took up the southward position, acting as the stop-gap on the ambush. Just a bit farther up the ridgeline from the Enforcer, Quinn hunkered his Commando down between two large trees.  
  
To John's right, at the farthest north position, Kathy settled her own Valkyrie, the twin of John's 'mech, down onto its left knee. The 'mech's right arm, ending in the barrel of a Sutel IX laser instead of a hand assembly, rested on the 'mech's right knee.  
  
~We're as ready as we'll ever be,~ John said, bringing his own 'mech to a halt.  
  
John eyes roamed over his status displays for the thousandth time, making sure nothing had changed, when his eyes caught movement on the display screen before him.  
  
From the north, a green and grey camouflaged Griffin stepped through the foliage, its Fusigon PPC cradled in its arms like an assault rifle. The LRM launcher on its shoulder was locked into firing position, but the Kurita pilot gave no sign of seeing any of Davion 'mechs. Still, the Griffin alone outweighed even the Leftenant's 'mech by five tons.  
  
Just behind the Griffin came more cause for concern in the form of a PNT_9R Panther. Though massing only 35 tons, the Kurita design carried a Lord's Light PPC on its right arm and four SRM tubes in its center torso. Combined with jump jets, that mix of weaponry had proven highly effective over the years. The Panther was a mainstay in DCMS recon forces.  
  
On the near side of the Griffin came the humanoid shape of a Stinger. At only 20 tons, this 'mech was outweighed by every unit in the training battalion's lance. John zoomed in his optics, and cursed silently under his breath. Outweighed it might be, but not outgunned. This was a 3G variant of the Stinger, which had replaced the twin machine guns in the 'mech's left arm with a second medium laser. The twin lasers gave the 'mech the appearance of someone carrying a pistol in each hand, like some kind of holovid star.  
  
~There should be one more Panther out there, if Rand's count was accurate,~ John told himself, searching the jungle before him. Try as he might, however, he couldn't resolve another contact before the signal came.  
  
Two short clicks through John's headset signaled the start of the ambush. John brought up the Valkyrie's golden crosshairs swiftly, and grinned as they meshed over the torso of the Griffin.  
  
John's left index finger tightened over the trigger and his cockpit was filled with a loud whoosh as ten long range missiles launched from the Valkyrie's chest. The heat in the cockpit rose 10 degrees as the 'mech's heat sinks struggled to keep up.  
  
The missiles arced through the sky, then fell on the Kurita Griffin, blasting chunks of armor from it's left leg. John stabbed the Valkyrie's stubby right arm forward and added his laser to the barrage. The ruby beam caught the Griffin on its right shoulder as the 'mech turned to face its attacker. A larger laser beam threw dirt up from the ground in front of the Griffin while autocannon shells from the Leftenant's Enforcer ripped into its right leg.  
  
The Griffin seemed to disappear as more LRM's from Kathy's Valk sent columns of dirt skyrocketing all around it, but failed to connect with the 'mech. Short range missiles from Quinn's Commando pocked the Kurita 'mech's torso as the heavy warheads slammed home, causing the Griffin to take a step backward. As the smoke cleared, however, the Griffin was still standing, its heavy armor, though clearly battered, still intact.  
  
The medium Kurita 'mech leapt into the sky on jets of flame and retreated northward. As it landed, it brought its PPC and LRMs into play, targeting the Enforcer. The missiles exploded harmlessly in the jungle before they ever got close to the Leftenant's Enforcer, and the PPC detonated a tree as the man-made lightning superheated the water within.  
  
John flung his 'mech into motion then, heading northward down the slope, keeping pace with the Griffin as best he could. He triggered another flight of LRMs as soon as they were chambered, and watched as they peppered the Griffin's arms with yet more craters. John's laser went wide, however, as the Griffin turned to shift its aim.  
  
The Leftenant's autocannon ripped into the Griffin yet again, shredding armor on the 'mech's left breast. The high speed rounds smashed through the armor, but seemed to miss the Griffin's vitals. The Enforcer's main laser slashed out again, but missed far wide of the Griffin as it ducked back behind a hill.  
  
Kathy's Valkyrie landed just down the slope from John's own 'mech, her weapons still tracking the Griffin, which was unshielded from this side. Her missiles arced high over the Combine 'mech, but her laser found a weak spot over the 'mech's heart. The ruby beam lanced through the armor, and the Griffin stumbled back.  
  
~Probably a gyro hit~, John told himself. The Griffin's pilot seemed to have regained control of his 'mech for a moment, until momentum caught up with him. The 55-ton 'mech tottered for a second, then crashed in a cloud of dirt and debris. The Griffin lay still for a brief moment before it started to move again.  
  
"Nice shooting, Kath!" John shouted over the comm, then started his Valkyrie back up the slope again. Firing as he withdrew, John triggered another missile volley from his Valkyrie's launcher. The Griffin, crouching as it tried to rise, caught the volley with its left arm. The shoulder baffle that gave the Griffin its distinctive shape disappeared under the explosions, but none penetrated.  
  
The ground shook as the Leftenant's Enforcer landed to John's left, then again as the Kurita Stinger landed behind him. The Enforcer raised its right arm, sending autocannon shells at the Stinger at nearly point blank range. The Stinger managed to push the arm aside with its shoulder as it raised its own medium lasers to fire at the Enforcer, but the Stinger's shots also missed. The massive laser mounted in the Enforcer's left arm, however, found its mark on the Griffin as Rand split his targets, burning away nearly all the armor on the Griffin's right arm, and exposing the PPC.  
  
The Griffin regained is feet and returned fire at the Enforcer. LRM's arrowed across the small valley, crashing into the untouched armor on the Enforcer's chest. The PPC stroked out, washing over the Enforcer's cockpit. John went cold as he saw the Enforcer stumble, but he felt relief when the Leftenant, still alive, regained control a moment later.  
  
The Panthers were moving up the slope, firing their PPCS, but they had yet to score a hit on their targets. Kathy's Valk again fired at the Griffin, and again her missiles went wide. The laser carved a line in the armor on the 'mech's left arm, almost as if she was connecting the dots where John's missiles had struck home moments before.  
  
Behind John, the Kurita Stinger lashed out with its foot, catching the Leftenant's Enforcer in its left leg, crumpling the armor there. Without thinking, John lashed out with his own 'mech's left hand curled into a massive fist. The blow caught the Stinger head and snapped it around.  
  
From the way the 'mech staggered, John guessed the Stinger's pilot had been seriously injured.  
  
In spite of the damage to his gyro, the pilot of the Kurita Griffin triggered his jump jets again, this time sending the mech hurtling toward the Davion position.  
  
"Fall back to position Bravo," came the Leftenant's voice over the headset. He sounded groggy, but still strong as he suited action to words. The Enforcer leapt into the air as well, heading off the ridgeline to the Southeast. John and Kathy followed suit, heading deeper into the jungle. Quinn's 'mech, lacking jump jets had to fight its way through the vegetation, while all around them the Kurita 'mechs soared as well.  
  
John came down kneeling in a three point stance, his Valkyrie's left arm outstretched for balance as he cut through the thick jungle. In front of him, the enemy Stinger landed, then raised both its medium lasers. The pilot had been anticipating John making a two point landing, and the lasers both burned over his head. John raised the 'mech's right arm as he stood, triggering his own laser, but the Stinger managed to sidestep the awkward shot.  
  
The sound of massive explosions drew John's attention to his right as he saw Quinn's Commando stagger out of the jungle not 20 meters to his left. Fire ringed the 'mech from behind as a salvo of missiles burst through his weak rear armor. Thankfully, they seemed to miss the ammo stored in the Commando's torso. Quinn pivoted his 'mech's torso and was wreathed in yet more smoke as he replied with a full volley of his own short ranged missiles. As if summoned, a Kurita Panther stepped into view just in time to catch the heavy warheads all along its right side. Quinn added the Commando's laser to the volley, despite the heat it would cause, and scored the armor covering the Panther's left shoulder.  
  
John watched in amazement as missiles spilled from the Commando's damaged right torso. The Panther's shot must have opened up the ammo bin located in the 'mech's shoulder, yet failed to detonate any of the warheads. The missiles dropped harmlessly to the ground at the Commando's feet.  
  
The Panther continued its charge, heedless of the damage, and Quinn reacted quickly. Half crouching, he drove his Commando's leg forward, catching the Panther on its left thigh, crushing the armor there.  
  
Movement drew John's attention as the Kurita Stinger tried a similar move against John's Valkyrie. On instinct, John twisted to the left, punching ineffectually with the Valk's left arm. Instead of hitting the Valkyrie, the Stinger's foot hit the bole of a massive tree, causing the wood to crack, but not collapse. Instead it was the Stinger that collapsed, crumpling armor along its right side as it fell.  
  
John triggered a flight of LRMs, even though he was far too close for them to do any good. The missiles slammed into the ground as the Stinger raced back up a hill, attempting to gain some advantage through higher ground. John's laser burned into a tree as the Stinger turned to return fire. Crimson light lanced forth from the Stinger's lasers. One of the blasts melted more armor from the Valkyrie's left arm, but failing to penetrate. The Stinger stepped forward and kicked again, this time forcing John to block with his 'mech's right arm. The collision jarred John in his command couch, but both 'mechs had only crumpled armor to show for it.  
  
John dodged to his left, bringing his 'mech around to cover Quinn's damaged rear armor. The Stinger circled to John's left, tracking with its lasers. The twin ruby beams stitched out again, and again one of them lashed armor from the Valkyrie's left arm. An alarm sounded as the armor was breached, exposing the myomer fibers of the muslces and the alloyed "bones" of the Valkyrie's forearm. John's own laser scored the armor along the Stinger's torso, sending huge globs of molten metal running down the 'mech's torso.  
  
The Second Kurita Panther stepped from the Jungle on John's left, PPC and SRM launcher firing at the Leftenant's Enforcer. The SRMs found their mark, scoring armor over the Enforcer's legs, but the PPC blast went wide. The Leftenant returned fire, the Enforcer's massive autocannon stripping the remaining armor from the Panther's left arm, leaving it nearly as bare as that of John's Valkyrie. The Enforcer's heavy laser, however, found purchase on the Panther's head, wreathing the cockpit in flames. For a moment, John thought the pilot had been killed outright, but when the 'mech staggered forward to regain its balance, his hopes were dashed.  
  
The Enforcer and the Panther collided, the Panther driving its left fist into the Enforcer's chest as the Enforcer stomped on the lighter 'mech's right foot, grinding it into the ground.  
  
John whirled his Valkyrie to track the enemy Stinger as it vaulted into the air yet again. His missiles spiraled past the Stinger as it landed, but the laser cored the armor just below the Stinger's head. The Stinger returned the favor, its own lasers stripping armor from the right leg of John's Valkyrie.  
  
A glance at his status board showed that the Valkyrie was losing armor at an alarming rate. This fight had to end soon, John knew, or he was going to lose his 'mech.  
  
The Leftenant had apparently had enough of the Panther. The autocannon sounded like a gigantic buzzsaw as its chewed through the Panther's left leg, sending the limb crashing to the ground. The Panther landed hard, it's already damaged head crumpling against a large boulder exposed on the hillside. The 'mech collapsed and lay still as the Enforcer turned to face the Stinger.  
  
The Stinger leapt again, vaulting over the Enforcer to land behind the heavier 'mech. John triggered his own jets, coming to rest just behind the Stinger. John's medium laser flared out again licking away the armor from the Stinger's right arm. The Stinger's paired laser bolts lashed out at the Enforcer from behind, stripping away armor along the heavier 'mech's left side. There was a flash of superheated steam as a heat sink evaporated under the laser's touch.  
  
The Enforcer didn't seem to notice the damage. The Leftenant turned the 'mech's torso and triggered his autocannon at the Stinger, missing by a mile as he pivoted his 'mech at the last second to face a new threat. Cresting the ridge where the defenders had first held their position was the hulking form of the Griffin. It was moving slowly, using its savaged left arm to brace itself against the side of the hill due to the damage to its gyro.  
  
John felt a pang of fear as he saw that the Griffin was aiming at Kathy's Valkyrie, just slightly farther along on that ridgeline. The PPC and the LRMs crossed the distance in an instant, but missed the nimble Valkyrie as Kathy changed her position.  
  
The Leftenant triggered a blast from the Enforcer's main laser that sent the ground in front of the Griffin skyward but the Combine 'mech ignored as it bore down on Kathy's Valk.  
  
John triggered his LRMS at the Griffin, but the Kurita 'mech pushed off the hillside and tilted wildly for a moment as its pilot fought the gyro and brought the 'mech back under control. The LRMs fountained against the hill, leaving the Griffin untouched. Cursing, John brought the laser around onto the Griffin as well, but the light beam went wide.  
  
John had lost sight of the Stinger on his display as it moved past a thick tangle of trees, and watched in horror as the 'mech came out behind the Leftenant's 'mech.  
  
John tried to send his Valkyrie hurtling between the two 'mechs, but knew he'd be too late. The Stinger raised the twin medium lasers and was about to fire at point blank range into the Enforcer's already weakend rear armor when the jungle to the south erupted with missiles.  
  
Quinn's Commando confidently stepped forward, its armor pitted and scorched from its battle with the other Panther. Quinn's SRMs did little more than distract the Stinger's aim, but his medium laser lashed out, stripping the remaining armor from the Stinger's right leg and drawing a long, glowing line from the hip to the top of the Stinger's knee.  
  
Black smoke billowed forth as myomer fibers disintegrated, and the Stinger was brought up short as its hip actuator exploded. The 'mech's momentum sent it crashing to the ground right behind the Leftenant's Enforcer. One of the Stinger's medium lasers melted more armor on the Enforcer's leg as the Combine warrior fell, but the other was wasted as the gun's barrel was shoved into the ground.  
  
On the hill above, Kathy's Valkyrie moved along the slope, trying to close the range with the Griffin, hoping to get inside the effective range for its LRMS and PPC. Kathy would likely lose the use of her own LRMs, but she'd still be well within the effective range of her medium laser. And with the Griffin having gyro trouble, she should be able to dance circles around it.  
  
The Griffin tottered awkwardly down the hill, choosing to close the range with the Enforcer. As it came, it fired the PPC at point blank range at the Leftenant. Blue-white lightning stripped armor over the Enforcer's right arm laser, but didn't penetrate. The Leftenant circled to the right, firing both lasers and the last rounds from his autocannon as he went. The autocannon pierced through the armor on the Griffin's right shoulder, chipping away at the 'mech's framework. Both of the Enforcer's lasers stabbed into the Griffin's left leg, stripping it of all but the last shreds of armor.  
  
John and Kathy fired their lasers at the Griffin at the same moment, but both missed as the Griffin stumbled under the Enforcer's onslaught. The 55- ton battlemech crashed to the ground yet again. As it fell, its left foot remained wedged into the ground, severed by the Leftenant's lasers.  
  
As the Griffin fell, its domed head split open, and the mechwarrior ejected, riding his command couch upwards. A moment later, the ammunition for the Griffin's missile launcher began to detonate within the 'mech's breast. At this, the fight seemed to go out of the Stinger pilot.  
  
It took a moment for John to realize that the battle was over. He and his lance had been victorious, without suffering any casualties of their own. He was dimly aware of the Leftenant broadcasting a request for infantry and Tech support, to see if anything could be salvaged from the Combine 'mechs, and to round up the pilots and escort them back to base.  
  
Once again, John had to force his fingers to relax from the controls. 


	6. Black Hawks Chapter 6

Forward Headquarters, Second Amphigean Light Assault Group  
  
Tillerbee Jungle  
  
Marduk  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
September 16, 3028  
  
The oppressive heat of the jungle seemed cool in comparison to the cockpit of his battlemech, but Carl Torren was still sweating heavily, despite the fact that he was only wearing his combat clothes - a pair of shorts and his cooling vest, along with calf high boots.  
  
At least part of the sweat was due to the heat within the light tent. The rest was due to the man standing before Carl.  
  
Though Carl was a head taller than the man before him, there was no question of who was in control. Tai-sa Narimasu's appearance was as fearsome as his personality. Prematurely bald, Narimasu had elected to shave all his body hair, including his eyebrows. Combined with his gaunt yet compact frame, it almost gave him the appearance of some supernatural being. His blue eyes lent themselves to the rumor that his clan was related to the Kurita clan, the rulers of the Draconis Combine.  
  
In spite of their difference in height, Narimasu gave the impression that he was looking down upon Torren from a great height. Narimasu was silent, as he considered Carl's report.  
  
At dawn, Torren's company had been dispatched to locate their lost reconnaissance lance. Their position had last placed them some distance to the south of New Pontiac. It had taken most of the day, but eventually Torren's company had found the sight of the battle. The gutted remains of the Chu-i Gundersen's Griffin had been found slumped face down, covered in charred timber and scorched vines.  
  
It was clear from the beginning that Gundersen's lance had been ambushed by similar force. Little could be discerned from the scene, except that all the attacking 'mechs had been humanoid and at least one of them had mounted a large caliber autocannon. The most disturbing evidence of all had been found in the shattered remnants of armor that littered the battlefield.  
  
Tai-sa Narimasu closed his eyes for a moment and lowered his head. The fury he was feeling inside was made plain by the harsh tone with which he addressed the tent's third occupant.  
  
Seated in a camp chair in a corner of the tent, David Kaliba sat, his hand idly stroking his chin. His amber eyes were heavily lidded, and seemed almost lost in his deeply tanned skin. He was dressed in the field uniform of a DCMS soldier, but the slovenly way in which he wore it belied his non- military character.  
  
"You said that Marduk was garrisoned by militia," Tai-sa Narimasu said, slowly measuring his words.  
  
"Yes, I did," Kaliba said, not bothering to sit up. He stopped stroking his chin, however, and moved his fingers to stroke his heavily waxed short mustache.  
  
"You said that all Federated Suns line units were engaged elsewhere. That forces were diverted to aid in the offensive against the Capellan Confederation."  
  
This time, Kaliba didn't even deign to respond. He let the question and the implied insult breeze past him as if they had never been spoken.  
  
Torren stiffened. ~Even this ISF fool should know better than to antagonize the Jaguar like that,~ he told himself, using the units' nickname for its commander.  
  
Narimasu's hands tightened into fists on the tabletop and began to shake. The knuckles stood out white against the Tai-sa's flesh, but his voice remained steady.  
  
"Explain how the vaunted ISF managed to bungle their intelligence gathering so completely," Narimasu instructed. There could be no question in Kaliba's mind that this was NOT a request.  
  
Silence dragged out for a few moments. Reluctantly, and with an exasperated sigh, he sat upright on the camp chair.  
  
"Tai-sa, I understand your concern, but it really is unfounded," Kaliba said slowly. He seemed bored of the whole exchange, and terribly put out. "What you have are a few scraps of paint, nothing more. For all you know, the 'mech from which they came could be simply someone who retired from one of the Deneb Light Cavalry regiments. It doesn't indicate the Light Cavalry is deployed to Marduk. Our sources indicate that no more than a handful of militia units defend this world. The only other unit reported on planet - a training unit - was due to ship out weeks ago."  
  
Kaliba's gaze finally turned to Torren, and the Mechwarrior was surprised to see humor in the ISF agents' eyes. "It seems clear to me that Chu-i Gundersen's lance was simply caught with its pants down. He should have been more careful. Even ancient warriors can be dangerous."  
  
"Then how do you explain the disappearance of the battlemechs from Norse's facilities?" Torren snarled, taking offense at Kaliba's casual denigration of his soldiers.  
  
"Simply bad timing. Knowing of the offensive into the Confederation, the Fox Prince must have ordered production stepped up. Those machines are probably in transit to Sian as we speak. It is immaterial. The few battlemechs that we might have captured could not have held a candle to the prize of the plants themselves."  
  
"But the records show that no 'mechs have been shipped off in months!" Torren shouted, his face florid. He had disliked Kaliba from the time the man had joined the Light Assault Group a year ago.  
  
"Records can be faked, Tai-i Torren. Those 'mechs probably were shipped out months ago. We are not yet finished sifting through Norse's computer systems."  
  
Torren opened his mouth to speak again, but Narimasu's upraised hand silenced him immediately.  
  
Narimasu raised his head and opened his eyes, gazing balefully at the ISF agent. "You speak of suppositions and deductions, Kaliba-san. You will provide me with hard facts before the end of the week."  
  
Kaliba actually laughed. "You forget yourself, Tai-sa," Kaliba said. It was as far as he got.  
  
Narimasu's left hand lashed out, catching Kalibas jaw in a backhanded slap that sent the ISF agent crashing over the back of his camp chair.  
  
Kaliba stood, clutching his jaw, his face a mask of fury. Before he could speak, Narimasu held up a warning hand.  
  
"Speak again, before you have that information, and I will kill you."  
  
Torren looked at his Tai-sa with horror. Narimasu had just forfeited his own life, striking one of the Indrahar's agents. But the Tai-sa didn't seem to care.  
  
"Leave us," he said still glaring at Kaliba.  
  
Blood trickled from Kaliba's split lip as he left the tent in silence.  
  
It took a few moments for Kaliba's footsteps to die away, and in that time Narimasu seemed to regain control of himself. His fury was still barely contained, but now that the object of his ire had left his immediate vicinity, he was able to speak again.  
  
"You are wondering if I have just killed myself," Narimasu said, sitting down on his own chair.  
  
"Hai, Tai-sa."  
  
"Shikata ga nai. The ISF does not control this unit. Though we may be out of favor with the Dragon, he is still the Dragon. Wakarimasu-ka?"  
  
"Wakarimasu." Torren answered. He didn't quite agree with Narimasu on that point. Torren himself often questioned why any loyalty should be given to a lord who couldn't be bothered to notice his warriors. In spite of that, he didn't want the ISF running the unit any more than his commander did.  
  
"We must step up our patrols, especially in the Southern sectors. I believe that the ISF has made a grave error in its force estimates." Narimasu continued, his voice still hard.  
  
"Your company will go out again in the morning. You will patrol this sector," he said indicating an area well to the south of New Pontiac on the map.  
  
Torren looked at the area. It was densely covered by the jungle, and the symbols for swamps were present as well. It would be a morass even for light 'mechs, but that was the point. As he looked at the area on the map, examined it from the defender's point of view. It was a good position with limited avenues of approach from the north and west. What appeared to be steep, jagged mountains too sheer for battlemechs to scale protected it from the East. To the south, the swamp continued along the base of the mountains for several kilometers, until it merged with Lake Morad.  
  
~Yes,~ Torren said to himself as a plan began to form itself. ~It would make a good place to set up a temporary camp. It would also make an excellent trap.~ 


	7. Black Hawks Chapter 7

Tillerbee Jungle  
  
Marduk  
  
Draconis March  
  
Federated Suns  
  
September 17, 3028  
  
Major Markus Chiraq guided his Wolverine cautiously through the tunnel. The floodlights mounted on the 'Mech allowed him to see adequately, but the tight confines made navigation difficult. The cavern was wide enough for two battlemechs to move abreast, but the low ceiling meant that they had to stoop over.  
  
The angle sent strange sensations through Chiraq's neurohelmet, forcing him to concentrate on keeping the 'Mech upright, instead of allowing the nearly subconscious balance to which Chiraq was accustomed.  
  
Part of an abandoned mining complex, the tunnel had gone unused for decades, if not centuries. Every so often along the corridors Chiraq came across broken machinery, some if it clearly the remnants of MiningMechs that had been stripped for all valuable equipment and left to decay naturally.  
  
Just behind the Wolverine came a long line of hovercraft and other military vehicles, moving slowly through the tunnel. Behind them came the battlemechs of the training battalion, all of them carefully picking their way through the tunnel.  
  
When Marduk had been settled, Norse BattleMechworks had been pleased to discover that the metals caches that they had initially discovered in the jungle floor ran for hundreds of kilometers. Slowly, over the centuries, mining of those materials had been expanded to fill the production needs of the plant outside of New Pontiac. As one vein was finished, another, radiating from the factory complex was tapped. Some time during the Succession Wars, official records delineating most of the mine system had been destroyed, leaving only the then active mines in adequately mapped.  
  
Since that time, mining operations on Marduk had been somewhat more complicated. More than once, engineers had blasted into what they believed to be an untapped vein, only to find themselves in a long-since abandoned shaft.  
  
When Markus had gone to Norse to retrieve the nearly completed Wolverines and Griffins, several of the mining engineers had stopped him, informing him of the mine system. In exchange for getting the engineers and their families safely off planet when the time came, the engineers had agreed to lead the training battalion into the mines. It was a measure that might allow the training battalion forces to hit the combine and fade away, collapsing the caverns behind them, if necessary. Though the mines were connected to Norse' plant, the Chiraq's forces had been forced to flee overland. There would have been no way to not leave signs of their passage through the plant, and if the plan Chiraq had hatched was to have any chance of success, the Combine forces had to remain as ignorant of the breadth of the mines as possible.  
  
The engineers had been as good as their word. They had brought the unit to this abandoned section of the mine, and gotten them inside. It had been no mean feat, considering that the surface entrance had been designed for personnel to exit and leave. Blessedly, the tunnel inside had been big enough for the MiningMechs to operate, and therefore, the battlemechs.  
  
And so it was that Pegasus base had been established while the engineers worked to enlarge the entrance.  
  
Markus shuddered in his cockpit at the thought of just how close his command had been to getting caught in the open with nothing but a mountain at their backs. The recon lance that Leftenant Taylor's unit had dispatched two days ago was sure to have been discovered by now. Which meant that the Second Amphigean would begin to increase its searches in the Tillerbee to the south of New Pontiac, believing his forces to be located there.  
  
Now they were heading Eastwards, moving along the arc of a circle around New Pontiac. One of the engineers had combined his work with an avid love for exploration, and had spent a good portion of his vacation time traveling these old tunnels via skimmer, looking around to see if he might rediscover some of the engineering secrets that had been lost over the centuries of the Succession Wars.  
  
Chiraq smiled behind his neurohelmet. ~Lucky for us, the guy left markers down here. Otherwise, we wouldn't know where we were.~  
  
The Wolverine stumbled slightly as he came around a corner in the mine, but he managed to steady it by resting the battlemech's left hand against the wall.  
  
Reports had come in the day before that Amphigean patrols were being stepped up all around the countryside in an attempt to locate and root out the Federated Suns 'Mechs. Callahan's Crossing, a small city to the East of New Pontiac was reported to be the forward command base for the Eastern quadrant. The spies indicated that the 'Mechs were making their patrols mostly during the daylight, and returning to their base at night.  
  
If they continued at this pace, and if the engineer's markers were correct, and if they could find some way to create a breach in the tunnels near Callahan's Crossing, they should arrive at about noon on the day after tomorrow. If everything went according to plan, they'd be able to strike the base while the patrols were out, hitting it hard. With luck, they'd draw some attention to themselves.  
  
~If this plan is to work, we're going to need to draw them out of New Pontiac,~ Chiraq told himself. 


End file.
